no sound from computer

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by mheisig

What's that computer doing outside in the grass??

Going for a walk.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Seriously though, that's very strange. I just found that image on Google image search.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by cpayne5

Did you plug in the speakers and enable the ports in the bios?

Nope didn't do that, I'm back at work now, I'll try that later

[That Guy]

if your really "serious" about sound, you'd get an RME card and $4000 worth of powered pro monitor speakers (events or mackies)... you hear all kinds of stuff on CDs you never noticed before, though unless audio is your job, I seriously doubt its worth the cost.

your onboard sound should be fine, I use an audigy, but SB cards are tied to their driver CDs, so don't lose them.

I'd guess the SB live 5.1 (what i believe you have) may have had some kind of software conflict and its also possible a power surge or various other cause flipped a bit or two on the hard drive in the wrong place... kinda hard to tell from hundreds or miles away though.

[MTK]

I'm not that serious...

I do listen to music on my computer all the time though, and I have a subwoofer hooked up.

If I buy a similar new sound card, should that do the trick?

[TheMalcolmConnection]

In a word: yes.

New sound card = problem solved.

It "could" be the PCI slot you had the old card in, so I would put the new card in another slot when you get it.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by That Guy

if your really "serious" about sound, you'd get an RME card and $4000 worth of powered pro monitor speakers (events or mackies)... you hear all kinds of stuff on CDs you never noticed before, though unless audio is your job, I seriously doubt its worth the cost.

your onboard sound should be fine, I use an audigy, but SB cards are tied to their driver CDs, so don't lose them.

I'd guess the SB live 5.1 (what i believe you have) may have had some kind of software conflict and its also possible a power surge or various other cause flipped a bit or two on the hard drive in the wrong place... kinda hard to tell from hundreds or miles away though.

I think you're confusing "serious" with "sick" or maybe "filthy rich."

Audiophiles can spend some insaaaane amounts of cash on audio equipment. I think it's really a sickness or something. I know this guy, I kid you not, who sold his car to fund his audio system. He biked to work like 10 miles away. I guess he's probably healthier now too, who knows...

[MTK]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

In a word: yes.

New sound card = problem solved.

It "could" be the PCI slot you had the old card in, so I would put the new card in another slot when you get it.

Would it be worth trying the old card in a new slot first?

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I'm not that serious...

I do listen to music on my computer all the time though, and I have a subwoofer hooked up.

If I buy a similar new sound card, should that do the trick?

Seeing as I haven't inspected your machine myself, I make no guarantees about anything

I would say that at this point it sounds like you've pursued all the likely troubleshooting avenues, and dropping a few bucks on an entry-level sound card would be a pretty decent idea.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Would it be worth trying the old card in a new slot first?

While you've got the box open you might as well - don't get your hopes up though.

In all my years of hardware troubleshooting I've only had one PCI slot go bad, so I'd say the chances are slim to none.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

They go bad more often than you thought. I support almost 500 Dells and we've had more than a dozen go bad in the past year. It would definitely be worth trying. You'll have to get the driver from Dell, BUT it would maybe save you some cash.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

http://ftp.us.dell.com/audio/R69382.EXE

Here's the link to the drivers for your sound card. I'll check the Creative site and see if there are any more updated drivers.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

http://ccftp.creative.com/manualdn/D...Patch_LB_3.exe

Actually, try that link. It's probably a newer driver.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Yeah, I compared the two drivers. The one from Dell is about a year older than the one from the Creative website. Put the card in a different slot, use the Creative driver patch, restart and see if that does it.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

They go bad more often than you thought. I support almost 500 Dells and we've had more than a dozen go bad in the past year. It would definitely be worth trying. You'll have to get the driver from Dell, BUT it would maybe save you some cash.

Damn! A dozen within a year? Has that been consistent over a long period of time, or is Dell's QA going downhill?

Maybe I've had better luck because I typically only deal with high-end, enthusiast level mobos I had a Dell years ago...swore I'd never by pre-built systems again.

Of course I'd hate to be the guy who has to custom-build 500 machines for your company, so I see your point